Roman looked at their surroundings before he paused his footsteps. Something seemed off about the place where they were right now. It wasn't that he hadn't been on this side of the Veteris property before, but he doubted in all these years of his stay that he had come here when it had rained.

  Did it happen because it was the Elder's ability that had caused the rain, bringing another reaction here?

  Bending down, Roman touched the forest floor. When his hand made contact with the ground, he threw up black blood.

  "Rome!" Julie quickly came to his side.

  "I am okay," replied Roman, wiping the blood off his mouth, and he said, "This place is filled with the magic of the witches. Can you feel it, Winters?"

  "How is there witch's magic in here?" questioned Maximus, and when he bent down, doing the same action as Roman, he too threw up more blood than his friend had. "What the fuck—is this?"

  Julie, who had earlier not sensed it, hadn't picked up the smell the way Roman and the other vampires did. She sat on the back of her heels, and when she touched the ground, she felt nothing. There was nothing she could sense.

  "It is obvious that it is a witch's magic, as it doesn't affect her like it affects us," remarked Victoria, who had tagged along with the group. "I thought the witch's magic was restricted only to Willow Creek. Did witches live here before?"

  "I doubt so," replied Roman. "They probably used it to protect themselves."

  But Julie disagreed and whispered, "No. I don't feel anything here. More than witches spilling magic here to protect themselves, it seems more like—" she started to cough, her heart feeling like it was being harshly pulled and her face scrunched in immense pain.

  "I don't think I have ever come across something like this before," commented Olivia, and when they tried to walk away from there, suddenly their movements turned restricted.

  Roman furrowed his eyebrows deeply and asked Julie, "Summon Cillian here."

  "I have been trying it for a while, but he's not responding to me. It has been more than ten minutes since I have been trying to contact him."

  "It isn't the witches who spilt magic, but a vampire with an ability who made sure the witches cannot make use of their power," explained Roman. The place wasn't affecting just the vampires but also Julie. "Our abilities come from the witch's powers, and it is in return affecting us. We are the hybrids. It must be the Mortimers, they must have thought to capture the witches. I am sure none of us can make use of any of our abilities here, except for Tori. It is a land we must stay away from and also alert the Elders about it."

  Olivia's eyes caught on to something that was moving from a far, and so did the other vampires. She said, "We should let the Elder vampires know. Knowing their arrogance, they would probably come here thinking they are better than others to only lose powers. It could be the Mortimers, but I don't think I heard that they possessed such an ability."

  "The fair of Willow Creek is open and is accepting visitors," joked Maximums, to receive a glare from Olivia as it wasn't the time to joke about such things. "Yeah, I am not able to use my ability. I am just a regular vampire."

  "Welcome to my side of life," Victoria muttered under her breath.

  Out of nowhere, suddenly, creepers like roots emerged from the ground, starting to curl around the vampires and Julie's legs to pull them down and below the ground.

  "Is that a skull that I see in the ground?" questioned Maximus.

  "Feels like we stepped into the forest's mouth for it to swallow us," stated Roman. "Let us go back to the place where we came from. Quick!" Everyone struggled to escape from the roots, but the roots were too damn fast. Julie continuously kept moving backwards or to the side without a break, but the roots followed her restlessly like a snake.

  "Liv!" Maximus shouted Olivia's name when two strong roots grasped her feet and pulled her right into the ground, as if suddenly the ground had turned into sand, swallowing her. Maximus dodged the roots and said, "Grab my hand!"

  Olivia tried to catch hold of his hand, but she missed it by an inch, and the roots around her didn't let Maximus get close to her.

  Julie watched the others who were trying to get away from the roots, and when one of them appeared from behind her, it curled around her foot and tried to pull her into the ground.

  She tried to make use of the magic, but nothing worked, as if suddenly she was a mere human and her words and spells had turned non-effective. Roman used his strength in pulling and breaking the roots into two halves, but it seemed like a never-ending process. Instead of struggling anymore, he let the roots curl around his body, covering him entirely in it until he wasn't visible anymore.

  Instead of relying on his vampire abilities, which could have charred the entire roots in the place, Roman used something else. Not the witch's lineage, but the one where he possessed the dark stone. While his friends were pulled towards the ground, ready to have their bodies buried there like the other deceased victims who had walked in here in the past, his heart suddenly jerked with a louder heartbeat.

  The core in Roman's black heart turned blue. His eyes turned into slits, and within a second, immense energy burst through him, transferring to the ground, and the roots released everyone before turning into dust.

  "Never did I expect to be squeezed in such a fashion," commented Maximus. "Do you think Simon has been caught here?"

  "Let us hope not. Let us search for them on the other side," Roman suggested to them. Roman, Julie and Victoria walked in the front, while Olivia stayed back as Maximus had fallen behind. She stared hard at him when he asked her, "What's the matter?"

  Olivia stopped Maximus from walking, and she placed her hand on his chest.

  "As thrilled as I am that you want to kiss me, this is not the time right now, Liv," Maximus said in a light-hearted tone. The vampiress moved her hands near his stomach and gently moved her hand to his back when Maximus caught hold of her hand. She stared hard at him,

  "Let me see."

  Maximus' face turned serious, and he let go of her hand, knowing Olivia liked him to be transparent with her. She walked behind him and pulled up his shirt, and saw his shirt that had soaked wet with his blood. There was a wound on his upper back right behind where his heart was.

  "It looks bad," Olivia said, and Maximus took a step forward before turning to face her.

  "I am perfectly fine and moreover, we need to find our crazy friend before the Elders. Luciano won't spare Simon for interrupting his decision of killing Conner, and he's no Elder's disciple. I am sure Melanie won't be spared either," replied Maximus, starting to walk, but Olivia caught his arm.

  "Rome will look for him. We cannot have you holding us back if we end up in trouble. Wait here," stated Olivia, and Maximus gave her a nod. "I will let Rome and the others know."

  Far away from them, in the area where the trio had stopped walking, Melanie blinked at Conner's suggestion or proposal. Unsure if he meant what she understood, she asked him,

  "Go out where?"

  Conner didn't know what had overtaken his emotions, and it was probably triggered after seeing Melanie being close to Simon. All these years, Melanie had always paid attention to him all the time. She had always been with him. And now, as he knew about her feelings for him, while also noticing how something had changed compared to how they were before, he felt conflicted.

  Actually, he wanted to ask her about Julie, but instead, he ended up asking her out. And maybe it wouldn't be this embarrassing if it weren't for Melanie asking if he was really asking her out. He turned slightly red, and both of them stared at each other.

  Melanie was caught off guard, knowing Conner wasn't someone who joked about things like this, especially after he had not spoken to her for a few days and knowing she would kill him if he tried to prank her with something like this, she stared back at him.

  What did he mean by those words? Did it mean that suddenly he had started to like her? Or was it that he took pity on her and decided to give it a try?

  Simon hadn't uttered a word all this while, and he gauged Conner's words and expression with a hint of serious gleam in his eyes. This was something that he hadn't expected to happen.

  Conner took a few steps forward and came to stand in front of Melanie, who stood frozen. He said, "I would like to give us a try. I wouldn't want to feel that I missed something amazing, that could be between us."

  Melanie's mouth fell open, and she shook her head, before remembering to use her words, "Conner, you don't have to do this. I know you don't feel that way towards me and it is fine. There is no pressure and—"

  "What if I want to?" asked Conner, his brown curly hair hovering on his forehead. "What if I want to see how things go between us?"

  The word gobsmacked couldn't even cover the emotions that Melanie was feeling right now. Melanie replied, "How about we speak about this later? Once we are safe." Conner agreed to her, nodding, and he put his arm around her shoulder as if placing a claim. It wasn't the first time where Conner and Melanie had placed their hands around each other's shoulders before this, but Melanie could feel the hostility that was coming from Conner towards Simon.

  Queasy, she smiled at Conner, and he said, "Come let us go. You can lean on me, if your leg is hurting."

  "Thanks, Conner, but I think you need more help than me as you are the one who is exhausted," Melanie pointed out to him, and Conner laughed.

  Simon quietly continued to stare at both of them, and maybe it was possibly the longest time he had stayed this quiet. The last he had been this quiet was with his family when his father had punished him even though he had reached his teenage years.

  The red-headed vampire took one step forward and then another before he got in between the two humans, pushing them apart. Conner and Melanie turned, startled at this sudden action from him. Simon said, "You can lean against each other as much as you want once we are out of this place and away from the eyes of the vampires. You can also flirt and be mellow and cheesy. Both of you are injured patients and should instead just lean on me as right now I am the most reliable one."

  Conner laughed a little, not taking Simon's actions to be wrong and as if it was something he often did. At the same time, Melanie stared at Simon for a second more with their eyes meeting each other before she looked away, with her cheeks turning slightly warm without her knowledge.

  Melanie would have believed Simon was poking fun, but after knowing the times he had helped her and also about his past, she had suddenly started to grow a soft spot towards him. A spot that had appeared even though she never planned to offer it to him.

  She murmured, "I am fine. You can help Conner," saying this, she started to walk in the front.

  They continued to walk until they reached the main road and away from Veteris. Conner heaved a sigh of relief, "It seems like we are finally safe, and we can go home. We need to wait for someone to offer us a lift."

  "Mm," Simon agreed, "Hopefully it won't be some vampires. That would be rather problematic."

  While they waited for a vehicle to pass by so that they could take a ride, Simon came to Melanie's side, who appeared to be conflicted. He taunted her, "Congratulations on getting into a relationship. You must be ecstatic and in joy, your unrequited feelings are no more unfulfilled. And it is all thanks to me."

  Melanie didn't know why, but she felt a tinge of uncomfortableness when Simon said this, and she glared at him, "Yes, it is all thanks to you. Thank you for that."

  "You are very welcome. Let me know if you would like some more help from my side. Considering Conner has not much experience with girls, maybe I could help him get some practice," Simon poked Melanie, where he had gone back to his usual self, and the person who had spoken to her in the cave had vanished.

  "You don't have to do that. You have done more than enough," replied Melanie, turning her face to look in the direction of the two ends of the roads and waiting for the vehicle.

  Melanie was trying to figure out what to do when they reached home. She couldn't let Conner tell their parents about Veteris filled with vampires. Things were already in a pivotal stage with some of the vampires, who wanted to claim Veteris as well as Willow Creek. It would be worse than chaotic if their parents came in, which would lead to bloodshed, and she didn't want any such things.

  "Who else would I do that if not for you?" Simon's words felt sarcastic, and Melanie turned to look at Simon and asked him,

  "Is there something you would like to say, Simon?" she stared into his beautiful green eyes.

  When Simon took one step forward, she took one step backwards and turned to look at where Conner stood. Her friend was standing a few steps forward to see or hear them. Turning back her gaze to look at Simon, she found him suddenly standing too close to her, and he said,

  "I have already told you what I wanted to tell you. You should know it already or would you want me to repeat it again?"

  Melanie pursed her lips, not knowing she would end up in a day like this where she was stuck between two people. One whom she was in love with, and another… she didn't know. She had no relationship with Simon, so she shouldn't feel like this, right?

  "No," replied Melanie, and a crooked smile appeared on Simon.

  "Good. Until you remember it, everything is good."

  Melanie didn't stand next to Simon, and she walked forward where Conner stood. Noticing him pull out his phone, he told her, "I have been carrying this one since we got here. Never know when I might need it, and thankfully there's still fifteen percent battery."

  She frowned, when she saw him type something, and asked, "What are you doing?"

  "Asking for help of course," replied Conner, and he placed his phone next to his ear.? Melanie's eyes widened, her heart beat quickened and she snatched his phone from him…… "What happened?" he asked with a frown, while Melanie heard someone pick up the call.